Breland believes he has a good grasp of consumer opinions. After he sells a house, he asks customers to fill out a survey in exchange for a $25 gas card or a gift certificate at a local Mexican restaurant.

Six questions are on the survey. Among them is a question about factors that affected their decisions to buy.

Some of the answers are traditional.

"They'll buy because of price and location," Breland said. "They're looking for the best price. They're looking for a lot for the money."

But the part about price ... that's become more and more important in recent years.

"The buyers are smart," Breland said. "They do a lot of shopping. Buyers do not want to give up quality or amenities. They want to upgrade, but they want it at a good price."

Here's what they want, he said: A fully bricked house - something low maintenance - and a fully sodded yard.

Because of gas prices, they want a house that's close to where they work. In Huntsville, more often than not, that means something close to Redstone Arsenal.

Many want a house in the $150,000-$199,999 price range - the most popular category in recent months - but there has been increasing interest in the $250,000-$350,000 range, Breland said.

But they are unwilling to "bury themselves in debt," as he puts it.

It's all part of the profile of an increasingly cost-conscious consumer.

"The other trend that's clear is that the buyer wants a lot for the money," Breland said. "They want a great product at a great price, and (they) won't spend every last dime."

Business, he said, has been good. Among the reasons, he said, is because consumers are learning to live with the uncertain economic times.

"They aren't letting uncertainty dictate every move in their lives," he said.

Sandra Steele, president of Enfinger Steele Development, reads the consumer climate this way: People are tired of being fearful.

"The other side of that is things are happening to give them confidence,'' she said. "The resale market has picked up.''

She says there has been increased activity in the "higher and mid-range markets.'' An example: Since January, two homes have sold and closed in the $900,000-plus range in McMullen Cove.

"That is a great indication that people are feeling great about things,'' she said. "We have had a nice steady flow of activity in the $400,000-$600,000 range, as well as lower-priced neighborhoods.''

Another indication is the attitudes of prospective buyers. Last year, she sensed people were merely looking.

"It feels like now they are looking and ready to make a decision and buy,'' she said. "We have more ready buyers.''

The latest data from the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors indicates a favorable real estate market in Huntsville and Madison County.

Home sales increased 13.36 percent from January to February. There were 297 homes sold in February, compared to 262 sales in January.

That was also an increase of 6.07 percent from last February, when 280 homes were sold.

Oscar Gonzales, the CEO of the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors, puts it another way.

"The uncertainty has become the norm," he said. "We are seeing an increase in sales."

The latest data from the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors indicates a favorable real estate market in Huntsville and Madison County.

Home sales increased 13.36 percent from January to February. There were 297 homes sold in February, compared to 262 sales in January.

That was also an increase of 6.07 percent from last February, when 280 homes were sold. Gonzales has cited pending home sales as a reason for his optimism this year.

The year began with Gonzales saying he anticipated "a more aggressive upward trend in 2012."

"I think what we're seeing is a relaxing of some of the lending in terms of mortgages," he said. "I think we're also seeing the continued increase in pending home sales. They're moving into home ownership, regardless of the conditions of the market."

Prices also have remained somewhat stable. There was a slight drop in February - a 4.9 percent drop from January and a 0.29 percent drop from last February.

The single-family home median price in February was $160,250.

"In a market like ours, where new home construction is a predominant part of sales, from 38-40 percent, you don't see a significant dip in home prices," he said. "You're building a home at current prices. Typically, you don't see a softening. We aren't a foreclosure-type market.

"You won't see significant drops, simply because our market is not in that space."

Gonzales says eastern Limestone County will continue to be "our strongest area with the most activity." In Huntsville, he expects Five Points to have increased activity "as far as remodeling and it being a destination point for young professionals."

But it's the new-home construction that's one of Gonzales' reasons for optimism.

"This past month, 30 percent of sales were new-home construction," he said. "That's unheard of. When you go around the state and the country, it's not happening. Some (areas) around the state are virtually zero."

But here, he said, it is the norm - just as living with the economic uncertainties has become the norm, in his estimation.

More and more, though, he senses consumers willing to proceed through the conditions.

At the current pace, he believes the real-estate year will be "brisk,'' especially if pending home sales remain strong.

"It's too early to predict what the percentage will be,'' he said, "but the numbers are very promising."